Oregon Ducks rush to greatness: To fly, the Ducks' offense knows it must first run

Oregon led the Pac-12 Conference in rushing for the ninth consecutive season, thanks in part to true freshman Royce Freeman, who became the program's 17th back to rush for 1,000 yards in a season.

(Bruce Ely/The Oregonian)

EUGENE — Over the past nine seasons of Oregon football, the Ducks have changed uniforms, changed coaches and changed their facilities.

But one constant has remained: The Ducks run the ball better than anyone else in the Pac-12 Conference.

Oregon this season rushed for 3,085 yards (5.5 yard average) to lead the conference for the ninth consecutive season, the longest streak in the history of the conference.

So even though much has been made about the excellence of quarterback Marcus Mariota, and the quick-strike nature of the Ducks' high-scoring offense, the foundation of the Oregon offense lies in the run.

"It is our priority; we are a running football team,'' said Steve Greatwood, Oregon's offensive line coach and running game coordinator. "It is something we all take a great deal of pride in, being able to scheme the run.''

That Oregon emphasizes the run while using a spread, no-huddle offense, makes the attack both unusual and effective.

"When people hear spread offense, they think of the normal spread offense where teams are spreading guys out to throw the ball. But our philosophy of the spread is a little different,'' running backs coach Gary Campbell said. "We want to spread you out and run the ball.''

Those inside the Oregon program say it takes more than a philosophy to make the run work. It takes a certain kind of running back, a commitment through thick and thin, and receivers who realize blocking is as important as catching.

Once those are established, the concept is simple.

"Our whole deal is we are trying to get our athlete in space against their athlete, and try to win,'' Ducks coach Mark Helfrich said.

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Whether the Ducks are able to win those matchups in space figures to go a long way in determining their matchup with Florida State in the Jan. 1 Rose Bowl.

Oregon ranks 20th in the nation in rushing this season, averaging more than 237 yards a game, while Florida State is 58th against the run, allowing more than 160 yards per game.

The Ducks ran more than 58 percent of the time this season, and in nearly every game made efforts to establish the run early. Only against UCLA and Oregon State did Oregon attempt more passes than runs in the first quarter of a game.

"When we run the ball well, we are hard to stop,'' offensive coordinator Scott Frost said. "One of the things Chip (Kelly) and Mark brought to this offense is balance. We want to make teams defend everything. We try to stay as close to 50-50 (run/pass) as we can while making teams defend sideline to sideline. For a defense, that's hard to do.''

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Oregon isn't alone in emphasizing the run out of a spread offense. Helfrich noted that Ohio State, Baylor and Mississippi State have similar approaches. Ohio State, in fact, ranks 10th in the nation in rushing.

Several factors go into a successful running game, but those inside Oregon say it starts with a mindset.

"You gotta establish the run every game,'' running back/receiver Byron Marshall said. "We establish the run for the pass to be effective. If we don't run the ball, play-action doesn't work and defenses just key on Marcus, and all the receivers. That doesn't work.''

Greatwood, who collaborates with Helfrich, Frost and Campbell on the running attack for each game, said it's important to have patience with the running attack. In other words, if a run doesn't work, don't abandon it for the rest of the game.

"We are not going to try and reinvent the wheel,'' Greatwood said. "We will find a way, formationally, to get that run to work. And we usually have options off of it. So because running is a priority, I think we have patience with it.''

But more than anything, the Ducks have the personnel.

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When Marshall was a recruit from San Jose, California, he looked at Oregon and fell in love.

"Run the ball, run the ball, run the ball,'' Marshall remembered thinking. "As a recruit, you go somewhere for a reason, and when you are a running back, you want to go where they emphasize the run.''

Marshall, who became the school's 16th 1,000-yard rusher last season, said another factor in his decision was the running back pipeline from Eugene to the NFL that included Jonathan Stewart, LaMichael James, Kenjon Barner and De'Anthony Thomas.

"That was one of the biggest things: they produce,'' Marshall said. "You had J-Stew, then LaMike, Kenjon, D'Ant ... a lot of good people come here and they all go to The League, and that doesn't happen that much for a position group to constantly put players in the league year-after-year. For me, that was a huge attraction.''

Campbell, who has been at Oregon for 32 years, said once Oregon went to a spread-like offense under Mike Bellotti, then later under Kelly, he started recruiting a specific type of running back.

"We want guys who can break tackles, avoid tackles in the open field,'' Campbell said. "I don't want a big, bruising guy who runs downfield and I'm not looking for guys who can just run sweeps and outrun guys on the edge. I want guys with a little bit of both.''

Campbell might have his perfect Oregon back this season in true freshman Royce Freeman, whose 229-pound frame from boasts a blend of power and speed.

"Ideally, you want a guy who is big enough to break them, but quick enough to avoid them in the open field,'' Campbell said.

Greatwood said the Ducks' rushing attack is more than just quick and agile offensive linemen, and talented backs.

"I'll tell you another thing about our guys: our receivers have to block,'' Greatwood said. "They have to block to step on the field. And that's something, boy, I really appreciate. They take a great deal of pride in what they do and they buy into the toughness it takes to block on the edge.''

Freshman Darren Carrington said receivers quickly learn that the only way they play is if they block for the run.

"It's instilled from the get-go,'' Carrington said. "Right from the first day of Fall Camp. You see it. It becomes like a heart thing. You have to want it in here to block. But I kind of look at it as you are blocking for your friend. Like Royce, that's my friend, and it's cool to see when one of your blocks helps your homey score with ease.''

So the tradition continues at Oregon, where the run continues its run to nine consecutive seasons. It has become such a part of Oregon's approach that Greatwood didn't even know the Ducks had won their ninth consecutive rushing title.